“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.”
–From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
Back again.
It’s been a busy time around these parts for a while with all the interviewing I have been doing, Lord knows I need to actually get on the stick to find a new day job that can pay my light bill (One of the perks of unemployment? Watching tons of Arrested Development on my TiVo), but I hope at least some of you found some merit in getting to know a lot of different people in the industry called film.
It’s been a wild month and it actually sums up perfectly about why I have enjoyed my three years here at Quick Stop Entertainment/Poop Shoot. (Yeah, I liked the old name too but after hearing how the moniker hindered access to certain people I’ve now been able to talk to I am now in full agreement with Bill up there.) Gertrude Stein had nothing on Poop Shoot, I will tell you that much.
Some of the greatest developments of my writing career came in 2006 and I have no one to thank more than my wife who has showed her constant support for the Sunday nights I spend working on this column by only asking “So, do you think you’ll actually get paid for this someday?” every once in a while. (Lord knows that having the chance to spend 1:1 time with some of my most inspiring artisans is almost compensation enough. Almost. Really.) Last year rocked my insignificant world fairly hard with everything I did and along with my lady I have to give thanks to every one of you who continue to make me a pit-stop on your Fridays/weekends/whenever you’ve read everything else on the Internet. I hope to continue with the work that has gone on ignored by most every film/entertainment based periodical I have sent samples to (More on that in the coming weeks) and am eager to see what unsuspecting entertainer I can foist my interviewing skills upon in the new year.
I am eager, more than anything else I’ve done in years, to tease next week’s column where I was humbly thankful to speak to one of rock’s alternative contributors in the early 1990’s: Tanya Donelly. From The Throwing Muses, The Breeders, Belly to her own solo work I can’t remember a more satisfying conversation with someone that went on for as long as it did. I initially believed that interviewing musicians would necessitate a different approach than I take with other kinds of people but I am absolutely floored by how well the discussion went; one of the best interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure to participate in, without question. I wouldn’t normally be giving everyone reason to start their plans to avoid my column next week so early but consider this an early Christmas present.
Now, before getting on with this week’s trailers I absolutely had this email with regard to the review I ran about the DREAMGIRLS trailer a few weeks ago. I admired this guy’s passion so much I just had to include it here for your perusal. Enjoy!
Brandon C. writes:
Mr. Stipp,
Although I’m sure (or rather, I hope) I won’t be the first person to inform you of this, Dreamgirls is in no way based upon the story of Destiny’s Child. The film is an adaptation of a successful Broadway musical first staged in 1981, which was inspired by the history of Diana Ross & the Supremes and deals with the assimilation of black artists into the white pop music mainstream (similar to the days of Motown). The film’s script holds closer to its Supremes inspiration than the stage musical, and was not retooled to include any references to Destiny’s Child.
The use of Beyoncé Knowles as the character of Deena Jones (essentially a Diana Ross pastiche) hasn’t much to do with her parallel experience as lead singer of Destiny’s Child, although it is alarming just how similar the Destiny’s Child story is to the Supremes’ story. This plot, and that character, were first presented when Knowles was only a few months old. On top of that, Beyoncé’s Deena character isn’t even the plot’s central figure: Jennifer Hudson’s character Effie is the character with most of the emotional weight and the big solo musical numbers.
I have already seen the film and, while I enjoyed it very much (Hudson does a fine debut, and Eddie Murphy gives his best performance in at least a decade), I don’t assume you’d want to see the film any more after you’ve read all this, as its subject matter doesn’t seem to be within your scope of interests in the first place. I know your review is based upon only the trailer (which isn’t quite an accurate reflection of the actual film), and you’ve probably never heard of Dreamgirls before, but I would at least have assumed you’d heard of Diana Ross and/or the Supremes. For all I know, however, you may have already known all of this (especially after the plethora of media coverage of the film), and you may have just been attempting a comedic dismissal of the film.
Regards,
Brandon C.P.S. The hairstyle you referenced in your article as a “Jheri curl” is in fact a “conk”: a pompadour created by using lye to straighten an African-American male’s natural hair. A Jheri curl is a different hairstyle altogether (it is what Michael Jackson wore back when he was “Michael Jackson”). Conks were popular up until the late-1960s, while the chemicals used to create the Jheri curl hairstyle weren’t invented until the late 1970s.
Some highlights from my letter back to Brandon:
Brandon,
I wanted to let you know that I really do appreciate your comments on the film proper. Additionally, I wanted to let you know that everything I wrote about what my impressions were of the movie were solely based on 1) the trailer/marketing department’s ability to convey what the movie is about and why I should see it and 2) to point out what a piss poor job they did in getting me excited about this musical.
The column I write on trailers is supposed to point out the absurdity in what companies think is the best way to market a film, there are excellent examples of what I think when they do it right, but when they do it wrong I open up the sarcasm box and just unload on everything and anything I can make fun of.
I am actually a huge fan of musicals. Hugh Jackman’s Oklahoma was a *fantastic* example of theater done right and certainly movies like CHICAGO helped bring musicals back into modern moviegoers’ consciousness when movies like WEST SIDE STORY dazzled as well as made money at the box office. I do plan on watching DREAMGIRLS, just so you know.
So, long story short, I really do appreciate you writing in with your knowledge of the film and the origins of Jheri Curl; that really amazed me you either knew that off the top of your head or that you took the time to check that out.
What I didn’t write back in the response is that his was the real in-depth response to a stance I took on a trailer. It’s amazing that a lot of people just take my opinion at face value for what I think but I am always appreciative when there is a little dissent within the ranks.
Ooo…and what father would I be if I didn’t give a WGCI-old-school shout-out (“Yeah, this is Dawanna from the south side givin’ it up to my mannn, Shaun. Can you play “Rub Me The Right Way” by Johnny Gill….”) if I didn’t say Happy Birthday to my daughter, Ella, who turned 1 today. I happen to love this picture in all its raw natural-ness and it also happens to be one my wife is never too keen on me displaying in public BUT it is my column after all, not hers, so here you go. Happy Birthday, little lady, from dad.
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007)
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Ioan Gruffudd, Andre Braugher
Release: June 15, 2007
Synopsis: Marvel’s first family of superheroes, The Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost.
View Trailer:
* Large (QuickTime)
Prognosis: Not A Chance. I loved this film when it was called TERMINATOR 2.
Really, have effects not evolved further than this kind of rendering that looks like it was cribbed from James Cameron’s outtakes?
Let me try and cut and slice through what seems to be at issue with the way this trailer is executed. First and foremost, props to the trailer for creating an air of mystery right out of the gate with the mysterious flash entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Even if you don’t know that’s the Silver Surfer it still is fairly exciting with the uncertainty that bodes for the F4.
Now, we pull back a bit, which is a bit jarring, and witness the wedding of Jessica Alba and that dude, with the elastic body, who I don’t know, really don’t know what else he’s been in, being married by Brian Posehn, hopefully he’ll serenade the duo later with a scorching rendition of “Metal by Numbers.â€
Now, things, obviously, turn to pot when the mystery blob does a fly-by, close enough to the wedding party, how convenient, and Mr. Guy Who I Don’t Know tells Chris Evans to go check that shit out. I will heartily admit that I have had no love for Chris Evans, I mean, really, am I the only person who hoped that Kim Basinger really would’ve received a bullet or two from Jason Statham, but Chris made F4 #1 watchable; he was genuinely humorous and self-centered, the way Johnny Storm should be played.
Here, again, his quip is just as smart, if not predictable when asked to get his “flame on†while wearing a tux. It’s cheeky. And, just for a moment, I am hopeful that something unique is going to come out of this. I get my hopes up when the camera movement through a series of banks and turns races through skyscrapers of all sizes. It’s a genuinely fluid chase scene but seeing the Surfer plow straight into the side of a building, only to materialize a la T-1000, it’s like I had my nuts slapped by Andre The Giant; it hurts.
The dogfight through a tunnel looks awfully animated and I don’t mean that in a cheerful exuberance sort of way, either. You can see the camera is blatenly sped-up as the two sliders and divers jockey for pole position over one another. The Surfer is further shown in all of his liquid metal glory, I am now convinced they got a cut rate on the software that can render anything to look like shimmering metal, T-2 is 15 years old so they MUST have got a screaming deal.
I’m not really sure whether this application of an old technology really gets me going like I thought it would when the mere mention of The Silver Surfer in a movie, for me anyway, in the 1989 classic HOW I GOT INTO COLLEGE got me kind of excited to think of how this could have been only to figure out in 2007 that it could have looked like it does way back in 1991.
Of course, T-2 didn’t ride a metallic surfboard that could have been used to asphyxiate his opponents into submission and I have to admit that does look like one advantage I’ve never pondered until Mr. Evans is led away from the ground and is allowed to free fall after he’s properly extinguished. We could have a movie here, people, if Evans is allowed to die but since this IS a franchise, don’t let your banker tell you otherwise, I am sure there is some explanation as to why his head didn’t explode from the compression and lack of oxygen.
One can dream, though…
Director: Tom Shadyac
Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, John Michael Higgins, Wanda Sykes, Jonah Hill, Johnny Simmons, Jimmy Bennett, Graham Phillips
Release: June 22, 2007
Synopsis: The last time we saw Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), he was being tormented by rival Bruce Nolan onscreen, live from their Buffalo TV station. But as time passed and Evan has made up with Bruce, he’s gone onto bigger and better things. Newly elected to Washington D.C. as a congressman, Evan has left Buffalo, New York in pursuit of a greater calling. But that calling isn’t serving in the illustrious ranks of America’s politics, but being summoned by the Almighty himself (Morgan Freeman), who has handed Evan the task of building a new ark, much as Noah did before. With time passing by and his family belittled by Evan’s newfound realization, Evan will have to do the work that God has given him in what promises to be an unusual adventure for a man who just wanted to serve his country, might actually be serving humanity.
View Trailer:
* Large (QuickTime)
Prognosis: Nope. You know those movies where you start off with a bias and then by end you’re completely amazed that you honestly were won over by a singular performance?
As you may have guessed, yeah, this isn’t one of them.
I just haven’t been able to jump on the Steve Carell bandwagon or become a member of the He Can Do No Wrong superfan club and I don’t think it’s because there’s isn’t anything to like about him. He seems like a genuinely funny dude to a lot of people but sometimes comedy is like a musk given off by some people and I just do not like the funk he leaves in my nose. The Office, ANCHORMAN, everything just ricochets off my funny bone like high velocity dodge balls. Unfortunately, even this teaser trailer misses the mark with me.
“Throughout history the Almighty has appeared unto a very few…â€
I am, as well, taking this thing to task for the idiotic presentation. Is there no other way to start a comedy trailer than getting that one Voiceover Guy to try and secretly give us his verbal left hook as we stare at his other curled fist, telling us of noble people who God has supposedly “talked†to personally. Flashes of Moses, Abraham, Joan of Arc and even Bruce flash by, too bad they didn’t have the low hanging balls to mention Muhammad, but we’re all waiting to see it, waiting, waiting, waiting and then, Steve pops up on the screen doing that tongue thing that my father thought was piss-your-pants hilarious from BRUCE ALMIGHTY.
Cue Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In the Sky.â€
So, we’re supposed to believe that God has chosen Steve Carell, I would too if I saw what Jim Carrey would’ve demanded to be paid, and I guess it’s appropriate enough that this is the sweetest middle finger Universal could’ve ever given anyone but the slapstick here doesn’t seem funny.
“Are you starting a Bee Gees tribute band?â€
Steve knows how to flop around in ways the Three Stooges would’ve been proud of but if this is supposed to be the costliest comedy in movie history I don’t see how Wanda Sykes, the greatest go-to comedienne that any studio could’ve asked for, she seems to be in so many movies as the brash loudmouth it almost appears to be scrawled on her resume as that’s the only part she ever plays, delivers the best line in this trailer.
Even John Michael Higgins has a tough time with even making me grin. I don’t know if this due to the crap line he delivers or the poor choice of scene to display how he can really deliver but I’m disappointed.
The disappointment only continues further by the end when Steve is trying to explain to his wife that the boat he’s been asked to build how it’s going to come in handy. Mumbling that it would be great to put on a lake or, as he sticks in “in case it floods or something†does not a joke make.
I’m trying here, I really am. A lot of you have made The Office something for NBC to hang their hat on and Steve has really become the “It†jokester as of late but I just can’t see it. This trailer certainly doesn’t help.
Director: Brian Robbins
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Release: February 9, 2007
Synopsis: Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has never had it easy. As a baby, he was abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage and raised by Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy). Things get worse when he’s forced into marriage by the mean, junk food-chugging queen, Rasputia (Eddie Murphy). Just when Norbit’s hanging by his last thread, his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town. In the comedy “Norbit,†he’ll show them all that nice guys sometimes finish first.
View Trailer:
* Large (QuickTime)
Prognosis: Not Even Close. What the hell happened to Eddie Murphy?
I mean, seriously, I don’t like to seem I am just echoing what everyone else already knows but is dressing up like fat people the only way for him to really stretch his comedic reach? I know he probably made a lot of coin for his DADDY DAY CARE and that THE NUTTY PROFESSOR has bankrolled any other transvestite proclivities he may want to indulge in by offering this segment of the population rides to nowhere in particular, that is if you believe what the Globe and National Enquirer have reported. But, where is the Eddie Murphy that made DELIRIOUS or RAW?
He’s gone and we have this pod person taking his place: an unfunny shill who’s on par with Tim Allen as the king and drag queen of crap film fare.
That all said, however, it’s important to be impartial and as we open up I am all sorts of available to accept that there might be a funny or two in here. As we quickly go through Eddie’s history as a youth who is ditched out of a car, picked up by a Chinese proprietor of a restaurant/orphanage, yeah, real funny those writers are, I did laugh when Eddie’s younger self plays with a little duck only to have it taken away. It dies on the chopping block, the head tumbling down to his feet as he’s told to play with that instead.
He’s then playing in the sandbox, some ruffians destroying what he built, only to have a very large girl take the twin attackers to task for doing so. She forces him to be his girlfriend as Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time†chimes in.
I get it. The fat angle is where we’re going with this, right?
Yeah, it is. For those needing some inclination of what this movie really is I can tell you just by seeing the first split screen: think of this flick as the unholy union of the unfunny parts of BOWFINGER and the gelatinous make-up that made the NUTTY PROFESSOR such a hit around the world.
We’re then treated to Eddie’s fat woman character as she’s lounging in her bikini, yeah, it’s that bad, talking to her friend about how she’s all sorts of sexual as we’re treated to Eddie getting body slammed into his bed by his airborne lover, crushing their bed every single time. I don’t know whether to laugh or be afraid.
The fat joke is then taken a notch higher as we’re treated to a rendition of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha†as Eddie’s fat lady hand washes a car and her plump make-up breasts push their way onto the car’s windshield. I guess it’s supposed to be funny.
I did enjoy watching the She Eddie picking up her gut when asked at the entrance of a water park if she’s wearing bottoms; you get a full-on look that confirms, yes, she/he is. I don’t know whether I need to be disgusted or find it horrifying. I settled on disgusted.
The sing-along at the very end of this trailer seems quite unnecessary to why I would want to pay to see this but, I guess, this whole trailer seems like a fair warning of what’s to come than anything else.
Sigh. Eddie, we hardly knew ye.
DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREEN, THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006)
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch
Release: February 9, 2007 (Limited)
Synopsis: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s movie debut focuses on the horrifying, sometimes unintentionally funny system of observation in the former East Germany. In the early 1980s, the successful dramatist Georg Dreyman and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland, a popular actress, are big intellectual stars in the socialist state, although they secretly don’t always think loyal to the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more…
View Trailer:
* Large (QuickTime)
Prognosis: Very Positive. I need to see this film.
Sure, there seems to be a little similarity between what happened with that island girl and Tom Cruise in THE FIRM, if you ask me he was probably really disinterested from what I could tell talking to people in the know, but, beyond that, this is pure electricity.
The only thing I really knew about what was going on in East Germany versus what was happening in West Germany is only what my media told me. It was all Communism, totalitarianism, oppression, repression and every other evil –ssion you can link into a sentence. What leaped out at me, then, was not the awards that this film has won, and they’re especially well-placed, but the color palate and weight of the images that follows the initial moments of this trailer.
If I am able to say it I would mention that the whole feel of this movie is like an onomatopoeia for what it was like in East Germany. The manhandling of an individual, no doubt the Stasi who took a page from Adolf Hitlers’s Book of Fashion and How To Look Good While Killing Fellow Countrymen, and the score that ripples right below the action on the screen is haunting.
We get a few good words about what the police there were really in the business of doing, and it certainly helps those of us trying to determine to see this foreign flick whether it’s worth our time, and it nicely leads us to the crux of what this film is about in a way. Sure, we don’t know particulars but we know our protagonist is a playwright who has a hottie for a lady and the Stasi want then bugged, wired and everything else that help them delve into their lives.
So, events are in motion: the man is followed, you have a perv on the other line who is drinking in these stranger’s private moments and we get a few well-chosen blurbs from the American media about why this film stands out against the rest.
I think it’s also worth noting that the use of subtitles in the trailer is a bold choice; I, for one, do not have a problem with it but it certainly defines itself as a foreign language movie and hopefully prevents some dope from going and thinking it’s all in English.
What intrigues me more about this film is that one of the listeners on the other end of this surveillance campaign seems genuinely moved by what he’s hearing and learning. A lot more is going on underneath the surface of some police officials wanting to keep tabs on a anti-government dissident but there’s the sense this movie is a dramatic piece wrapped up in a cat-and-mouse game. One of the last that would happen before the East Germans figured out what the rest of us already knew: oppression of a population can only last so long before change comes. Too bad North Korea, Turkmenistan and a lot of other Central Asian nation-states haven’t figured this out but a movie like this one could illustrate the absurdity of how futile it is to try and keep rose colored glasses on their society.
Comments: None
Leave a Reply |